Game Notes: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51, New Orleans Saints 27 | 2024 NFL Week 6

Rookie receiver Bub Means gets first touchdown of career

Oct 13, 2024 at 06:27 PM

• The New Orleans Saints fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27 on Sunday. New Orleans returns to action on "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon Prime (can also be viewed on WDSU 6 locally) against the Denver Broncos. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

• After initially falling behind 17-0, New Orleans scored all of its 27 points in the second quarter. The 27 points scored in the second quarter was the second-highest total by the Saints in a second quarter all-time, behind the 28 scored in the second quarter at Cincinnati on Nov. 11, 2018.

• New Orleans tied a season-high from its season opener vs. Carolina, with three takeaways, including a season-high three interceptions.

• Making his NFL debut, rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler finished 22 of 40 for 243 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while adding 27 rushing yards on four carries.

• His touchdown strike was to fellow rookie receiver Bub Means. The connection marked the first time a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start threw a TD pass to a rookie for their first career touchdown reception since Sept. 28, 2014 (Blake Bortles to tight end Nic Jacobs, Jacksonville Jaguars).

• Running back Alvin Kamara led the Saints with 13 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown while adding five receptions for 24 yards receiving. The score extended his team record 85 career touchdowns and moved him into a tie for 57th place in NFL history with Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Tommy McDonald (Class of 1998) and receiver Mark Clayton.

• The score also marked the 60th rushing touchdown of his career, moving into a tie for 53rd place all-time with Terrell Davis (Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017), Ahman Green and Brandon Jacobs.

• Kamara's five grabs brings his career total to 533, now third in franchise history.

• Rookie wideout Bub Means had the most productive game of his young career against Tampa Bay seeing a more extensive role after Chris Olave suffered a concussion, finishing with five grabs for 45 yards, including his first career score from Rattler on a 10-yard connection.

• Tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau were effective for the Saints offense in the first half. Johnson finished with three receptions for 48 yards (16.0 avg) while Moreau hauled in both of his targets for 54 yards, including the team's longest play of the day, a 41-yard reception from Rattler.

• Receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed added one reception for 11 yards and was huge on special teams, adding a kickoff return for 25 yards and two punt returns for 56 yards, including a 54-yard return for a touchdown in the first half for 92 all-purpose yards. With the score, Shaheed became the third Saint to have multiple punt return touchdowns in their Saints career, joining Reggie Bush (four) and Tyrone Hughes (two).

• Shaheed now has 665 career punt return yards. On Sunday, he surpassed former Saints Mel Gray and Darren Sproles to move into sixth all-time in club record books.

• Making his 50th start of his career Sunday, cornerback Paulson Adebo tied for a team-high 10 tackles while adding two passes defensed and an interception returned for 20 yards, his 10th career pick.

• Cornerback Marshon Lattimore had a season-high 10 stops (six solo). Defensive back Jordan Howden also tied for the team lead with 10 stops (three solo) to tie a career-high, adding one assisted special teams stop.

• Safety Johnathan Abram added seven tackles (three solo), one pass defense and an interception returned for a career-long 30 yards.

• Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. returned from injury against the Bucs and finished with four tackles, one sack for a loss of eight yards and two pass breakups.

• Defensive end Cameron Jordan added one tackle, one pass defense and an interception. The pick was his third in his career and his first since the 2017 season.

• Cornerback Alontae Taylor added six tackles (four solo), including one stop for loss and one pass breakup.
• Defensive back J.T. Gray had a game-high three special teams stops (two solo), extending his team-leading total to 13 on the season, 80 for his career. He now has more than his totals in 2023 (11) and 2022 (12) in just six games. Gray also finished with a career-high two solo defensive stops and the first defensive forced fumble of his career.

• Punter Matthew Hayball punted six times for 266 yards (44.3 gross avg), including three downed inside the 20-yard line and his season-long of 58 yards to give him a 42.3 net.

• Kicker Blake Grupe drilled field goals of 42 and 29 yards and made all three PATs. Grupe has made all 10 field-goal attempts on the season for a club-best 47 points.

Photos: Game Action | Saints vs Buccaneers | 2024 NFL Week 6